rottach



(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 1.

i A. R-OTTAGH. CIGAR BRANDING MACHINE.

No. 570,230. Patented 0013.27, 1896.

2 Shees-.Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

, A. ROTTAGH.

GIGAR BRANDING MACHINE. No. 570,230. Patented 0013A. 27, 1896,

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

AUGUST ROTTACH, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ClGAR-BRANDNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,230, dated October 27, 1896.

Application iiled January 29, 1896. Serial No. 577,275. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concer/t:

Beit known that I, AUGUST ROTTACH, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Branding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has reference to a brandingmachine of that class by which the wrappers of cigars are branded with the name, trademark, &c., of the manufacturer, so as to be readily distinguished by the customer, and by which the cigars are branded in a uniform and distinct manner without breaking the wrappers or injuring the cigars by subjecting them to unequal pressure or undue heat; and the invention consists of a cigarbranding machine which comprises an endless belt or apron that is moved intermittently over suitable guide-rollers and provided with a number of open forms to which the cigars are supplied as said forms pass over the supporting-table of the machine. Across the upper end of the endless apron extends a branding-cylinder provided at its lower part with exchangeable type guided in dovetail ways thereof, said branding-cylinder being constructed in the nature of a Bunsen burner, so as to be heated by a gas and air mixture supplied to the same. Reciprocating movement is imparted to the brandingcylinder by a suitable mechanism operated from a suitable crank-shaft, while a springclearer at one side of the apron opposite to theguide-support of the branding-cylinder is pressed downward when the branding-cylinder is lowered and retains the cigar and prevents it from following the upward motion of said cylinder, the branded cigars being then dropped from the forms at the end of the apron onto the chute at the end of the apron into a suitable receptacle, as will be fully described hereinafter and inallypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan of my improved machine for branding cigars. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, drawn on a larger scale and taken on line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation taken on line 4 4,

Fig. 2, of the vertically-reciprocating support for the branding-cylinder, showing the mechanism for reciprocating the same. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section, on a still larger scale, of a portion of the endless apron with its forms for the cigar to be branded and Fig. G is an enlarged detail section showing how the branding-cylinder is fixed on its support.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the table of my ilnproved machine for branding cigars. The table A is made in the style of a cigarmakers table, being open at the front and provided with a guard-ange ct along the sidesV and rear. The table A is supported on upright standards B B, which supportin suitablejournal-bearings a crankshaft C, which is provided with a fly-wheel C' and operated by a treadle C2 and pitman C3, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. An opening o is arranged in the table A, said opening being located near the middle of the table, so that an endless apron D, which is guided on rollers or drums D D2, can pass through the opening o slightly above the table. The shafts d d2 of the rollers D D2'are supported in suitable hangers d d, attached to the under side of the table A. To the apron are attached transversely-open forms F, which are supplied with the cigars to be branded by means of an inclined supply-chute E, which is arranged at one end of the table and which is provided with a guide-ange e, which eX- tends along one side of the opening o, as shown in Figs. l and 3. A number of cigars are thrown on the inclined chute E and then spread by the hand over the forms of the i11- termittently-moving apron, so that they are carried by the same toward the rear end of the opening, where the branding-cylinder G is located vertically above and in line with the shaft of the roller D2, so that the latter can resist the pressure exerted thereon by the branding-type. The branding-cylinder G is formed at its inner end with a screwthreaded neck g, which receives a nut g', whereby it is attached to the slotted end of an upright standard G', which passes through a slot o in the table A to the under side of ICO the same, where the standard is guided in keepers G3 of a hanger G2, that is attached to the under side of the table, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A connecting-rod G"L is pivoted to the lower part of the standard G and at g3 to the pitman C3, as shown in Fig. 4, so that vertical reciprocating motion is imparted to the standard G' and branding-cylinder G by the oscillating motion of the pitman C3. The branding-cylinder is provided at its under side with dovetail guideways g2, into which a number of exchangeable type 7L are inserted, and which are provided with any suitable letters or characters.

By providing an alphabet of letters and other characters any suitable word or trademark can be branded into the cigar, and thereby the branding-machine adapted to the requirements of every cigar-factory.

The branding-cylinder G is constructed in the nature of a Bnnsen burner, that is to say, with a pipe t', that is extended at one side beyond the branding-cylinder Gand connected with a iiexible tubing i, which is connected with a suitable gas-cock, so as to supply the gas to the pipe i', while air is admitted into the space around the inner pipe yi in suitable quantities and likewise into the space around the inner pipe z' at the interior of the branding-cylinder G, so that the gas jets that escape through openings at the lower part of the pipe t' burn with blue heating-flame and keep the branding-type at the high temperature required.

To the endless forni-carrying apron D is imparted an intermittent rotary motion by the roller D2, which roller is provided at its circumference with pins p, that extend into holes p in the apron, so that the roller D2 acts as a driving-roller for the endless apron D. To the shaft d2 of the driving-roller D2 is applied a ratchet-wheel @which is engaged by a pawl 7', applied to the upper end of an arm r2, while the middle portion or hub of which is placed loosely on the shaft d2 and the lower end is pivoted to a connecting-rod r2, the lower endfof which is strapped around an eccentric r4, keyed to the crank-shaft C, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. By this mechanism the intermittent traveling motion is imparted to the endless apron, so that one form after the other is placed below the branding-cylinder. As soon as this takes place, the brandingcylinder is lowered by the reciprocating motion imparted to its supporting-standard, so that the heated branding-type are pressed on the wrapper of the cigar and produce the branding of the type on the same.

At one side of the apron and below thc branding-cylinder is applied to the table a fiat clearer-spring Il, which is pressed by the branding-cylinder G over the end of the cigar to be branded when the same arrives in contact with the cigar, and which spring serves to hold the cigar and prevent it from adhering to the upwardly-receding cylinder after the branding has been completed. Each cigar is thereby retained in its form, after the branding has been accomplished, so that it can bc fed, by the intermittent motion of the endless apron, gradually onto an inclined discharge-chuteE, which is provided with a side flange e' and which is supported below the table A in proximity to the driving-roller D2, as shown in Fig. 3. The chute E/ conducts the cigars to a suitable receptacle, from which they are removed for packing.

My improved branding-machine has the advantage that the cigars can be branded with great speed and in a perfectly clear and reliable manner without hardly any appreciable waste, for the reason that the branding-cylinder, being supported adj nstably at one end, can be set to the various sizes and shapes of the cigars without breaking the wrapper or otherwise injuring the cigar during the branding action. The branding-cylinder is so constructed that the proper proportion of gas and air supplied to the same is established so that the uniform combustion of the gas takes place and any overheating of the cylinder and the burning of cigar-wrappers are prevented.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination of suitably-supported rollers or drums, an intermittently-movable endless apron guided over the drums and provided with concave or half cigar shaped forms, means for supplying cigars to said forms at one end of the apron, means for conducting them off at the other end of the apron, a branding-cylinder arranged above the rear drum, means for guiding the branding-cylinder in its movements to and from the forms arranged over the rear drum, and means for reciprocating the bran din g-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a supporting-table having an opening in the same, an intermittently movable endless apron arranged in said opening` and provided With concave or half-cigar-shaped forms, an inclined chute above the forward end of the apron, another inclined chute below the discharge end of the apron, a hollow branding-cylinder provided with type, a perforated gas-supply pipe eX- tending into said cylinder, and a verticallyreciprocating standard to which the brandin g-cylinder is adj ustably attached, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a supporting-table, an endless in termittently-movable apron provided withforms, a reciprocating brandingcylinder arranged above said apron, and a spring-clearer attached to the table and extending over the forms, and adapted to prevent the cigars from adhering to the branding-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

4. rfhe combination of a supporting-table having an opening, an endless form-carrying apron guided over rollers in said opening,

IOO

IIO

means for imparting intermittent forward motion to said apron, a supply-chute arranged 1o arranged at the side of the apron, opposite to the reciprocating standard, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AUG. ROTTAOH. Witnesses: v

PAUL GOEPEL, GEO. W. JAEKEL.V 

